1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical plug connector with a substantially sleeve-shaped male plug part having electrical contacts of a connecting cable arranged therein and with a female plug part in which the sleeve-shaped male plug part is received. The female plug connector is preferably a plug part incorporated into an electric device. The female plug part comprises electrical counter contacts matching the electrical contacts of the male plug part. It also has at its inner circumferential surface a locking edge which is engaged by locking tabs of an outer sleeve of the male plug part in the connected state of the plug connector. The locking tabs engaging the locking edge prevent a separation of the plug connector as long as the locking tabs are subjected to radial forces of cone-shaped locking surfaces of a locking sleeve supported within the outer sleeve. These forces result when the locking sleeve moves axially relative to the outer sleeve as a result of an axial loading of the connecting cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a known plug connector of this kind, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 10 of the drawing, the sleeve-shaped male plug connector 1 has electrical contacts (not shown in detail) provided on a connecting cable 2. At its outer side the male plug part 1 has an axially movable outer sleeve 3 with locking tabs 4 at its end face. As shown schematically in FIG. 8, the male plug part 1 can be inserted into the female plug part 5 having electrical counter contacts (not shown in detail in the drawing). The female plug part is preferably embodied as a component of an electric device. The female plug part 5 has a machined groove 6, and one of the limiting edges of the groove 6 acts as a locking edge 7 for the locking tabs 4 of the outer sleeve 3 of the plug part 1 inserted into the female plug part 5.
Especially FIG. 9 shows that the male plug part 1 has coordinated therewith a locking sleeve 8 positioned within the outer sleeve 3 and enclosing the connecting cable 2. The locking sleeve 8 comprises a conical sleeve portion 9. When the connecting cable 2 is axially loaded in the direction of arrow 10, the locking sleeve 8 with the conical sleeve portion 9 is entrained in the axial direction so that a radial force is exerted onto the locking tabs 4 by the conical sleeve portion 9 which consequently prevents a separation of the plug connector parts 1, 5 in the area of the locking edge 7 of the groove 6, indicated by the large arrow 11. Only when, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the cable 2 and thus the conical sleeve 9 remain axially free of a load, is it possible to realize a radial deflection of the locking tabs 4 in the area of the locking edge 7 by axially loading only the outer sleeve 3 according to arrow 12. The plug connector can be opened, i.e., the male plug part can be disconnected, in this way.
This known embodiment requires a separate manufacture of the locking sleeve 8 with conical sleeve portion 9, and the sleeve (8, 9) must be mounted in a cumbersome way from the front end of the plug part 1 on the other plug part components and must be secured thereat.